The speaker is significant because he was known as a great leader in his society. He was supposed to lead his people into victory but he surrendered.
The message is solely based on the setting of the surrender and the events that took place before it.
The Nez Perce were sent to a reservation in 1877 and Chief Joseph did not agree with that decision so he decided to lead his people to Canada. They traveled about 1,100 – 1,800 miles until they were surrounded by the U.S. Calvary. They were later sent to a Washington reservation after the surrender.
Purpose
The purpose of the speech was to convince the U.S. Calvary to allow Chief Joseph and his tribe to return to their ancestral grounds. In order to make his point clear the chief uses the three appeals and rhetorical devices such as: anaphora, epistrophe, and asyndeton.
Rhetorical Devices Anaphora ex. -
"i am tired of fighting"
" i want to have time.. "
" i am tired" Epistrophe ex. –
"... i know his heart"
"... i have in my heart"
"glass is dead"
"the old men are all dead"
“He who led on the young men is dead" Asyndeton ex -
"hear me, my chiefs" Three Appeals
Pathos: ex. “our chief’s are killed. Looking glass is dead. Toohulsote is dead.” it is cold and we have no blankets”, “have no blankets, no food.”
Ethos: “tell General Howard I know his heart.”
Logos: “from where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever”
Most of the speech was pathos Audience
The audience was the U.S. Calvary, 50 miles from the Canadian border. Chief Joseph needed to plead for his old land and the government was the only one who could grant them their request.
In the speech Chief Joseph comes across as pitiful to convince the generals to consider his plea. The generals were supposed to hear the emotion in the speech and have mercy.
Medium
Chief Joseph presented his message orally.
This source of communication increased the intensity of the message by verbal placing emotional value on each word.
“This sacred soil” – Chief Seattle
Chief Seattle was born in 1786 and died in 1866. He was known for his courage and leadership in battle. Seattle gained control of six local tribes, and had friendly relations with local Europeans. He protected European-American settlers from attacks on other Indians. In all decisions he made he thought about his people before
he thought of himself. The Sacred Soil speech came at a time when Chief Seattle was forced to gather his people, and live on a reservation. This speech was given after the governor proposed the idea of moving to a reservation. He speaks about how the “red people” know how to take care of their land, and appreciate their ancestors, and the “white man” knows nothing but to ignore his dead ancestors. He eventually thought it would be fair, because he knows his ancestors aren’t dead, and they
will follow him. Rhetorical Devices
“They are like the grass that covers vast prairies.”- Simile
“My people are few. They resemble the scattering trees of a storm-swept plain”- Analogy
“I will not dwell on, nor mourn over, our untimely decay, nor reproach our paleface brothers with hastening it, as we too may have been somewhat to blame.” – Apostrophe
“He folds his strong and protecting arms lovingly around the paleface and leads him by the hand as a father leads his infant son”- Simile
“How then can we be brothers?”- Rhetorical Question Three Appeals
Pathos: “Your God your people and hates mine”
Ethos: “Your religion was written upon tables of stone by the iron finger of your God…”
Logos: “Day and night can not dwell together. The red man has never fled the approach of the white man…” Purpose
The purpose of the speech was to explain facts about Indians to the governor of the Washington territory.
Chief Seattle tries to compare white settlers to Indians and explain the difference in their moral views. He was condemning the way they live and their disregard for the Indians.
Audience
In 1854, Chief Seattle wrote a speech expressing his feelings toward the white men before he signed a treaty that would give his land to white settlers in Washington. He describes how the Indians were treated and also asks why God helps the white men and treats the Indians like they are orphans. When the audience would read this speech, they should have thought about how badly they did treat the Indians and how they were neglected as people in Washington. Medium
Chief Seattle presented the message himself. This impacts the message because he can put emphasis on certain words to get his point across more easily.
Verbal communication allows him to demonstrate his feelings towards this matter.
- The speaker is significant because he was known as a great leader in his society. He was supposed to lead his people into victory but he surrendered.
- The message is solely based on the setting of the surrender and the events that took place before it.
- The Nez Perce were sent to a reservation in 1877 and Chief Joseph did not agree with that decision so he decided to lead his people to Canada. They traveled about 1,100 – 1,800 miles until they were surrounded by the U.S. Calvary. They were later sent to a Washington reservation after the surrender.
Purpose- The purpose of the speech was to convince the U.S. Calvary to allow Chief Joseph and his tribe to return to their ancestral grounds. In order to make his point clear the chief uses the three appeals and rhetorical devices such as: anaphora, epistrophe, and asyndeton.
Rhetorical DevicesAnaphora ex. -
"i am tired of fighting"
" i want to have time.. "
" i am tired"
Epistrophe ex. –
"... i know his heart"
"... i have in my heart"
"glass is dead"
"the old men are all dead"
“He who led on the young men is dead"
Asyndeton ex -
"hear me, my chiefs"
Three Appeals
Pathos: ex. “our chief’s are killed. Looking glass is dead. Toohulsote is dead.” it is cold and we have no blankets”, “have no blankets, no food.”
Ethos: “tell General Howard I know his heart.”
Logos: “from where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever”
Most of the speech was pathos
Audience
- The audience was the U.S. Calvary, 50 miles from the Canadian border. Chief Joseph needed to plead for his old land and the government was the only one who could grant them their request.
- In the speech Chief Joseph comes across as pitiful to convince the generals to consider his plea. The generals were supposed to hear the emotion in the speech and have mercy.
Medium- Chief Joseph presented his message orally.
- This source of communication increased the intensity of the message by verbal placing emotional value on each word.
“This sacred soil” – Chief SeattleChief Seattle was born in 1786 and died in 1866. He was known for his courage and leadership in battle. Seattle gained control of six local tribes, and had friendly relations with local Europeans. He protected European-American settlers from attacks on other Indians. In all decisions he made he thought about his people before
he thought of himself. The Sacred Soil speech came at a time when Chief Seattle was forced to gather his people, and live on a reservation. This speech was given after the governor proposed the idea of moving to a reservation. He speaks about how the “red people” know how to take care of their land, and appreciate their ancestors, and the “white man” knows nothing but to ignore his dead ancestors. He eventually thought it would be fair, because he knows his ancestors aren’t dead, and they
will follow him.
Rhetorical Devices
“They are like the grass that covers vast prairies.”- Simile
“My people are few. They resemble the scattering trees of a storm-swept plain”- Analogy
“I will not dwell on, nor mourn over, our untimely decay, nor reproach our paleface brothers with hastening it, as we too may have been somewhat to blame.” – Apostrophe
“He folds his strong and protecting arms lovingly around the paleface and leads him by the hand as a father leads his infant son”- Simile
“How then can we be brothers?”- Rhetorical Question
Three Appeals
Pathos: “Your God your people and hates mine”
Ethos: “Your religion was written upon tables of stone by the iron finger of your God…”
Logos: “Day and night can not dwell together. The red man has never fled the approach of the white man…”
Purpose
- The purpose of the speech was to explain facts about Indians to the governor of the Washington territory.
- Chief Seattle tries to compare white settlers to Indians and explain the difference in their moral views. He was condemning the way they live and their disregard for the Indians.
AudienceIn 1854, Chief Seattle wrote a speech expressing his feelings toward the white men before he signed a treaty that would give his land to white settlers in Washington. He describes how the Indians were treated and also asks why God helps the white men and treats the Indians like they are orphans. When the audience would read this speech, they should have thought about how badly they did treat the Indians and how they were neglected as people in Washington.
Medium